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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed the minimum wage increase. The meeting was held in New York City.

New York's minimum wage for all workers has risen from $7.25 to $8.75 an hour in the last two years. By the end of this year, it will be more than $9.

Fast-food workers are now one step closer to getting up to a 70 percent increase in their hourly wages. The state's Labor Commissioner still needs to approve the recommendations.

Wages will begin increasing in New York City by the end of 2015 and increase incrementally until reaching $15 by the end of 2018. In the rest of the state, hourly wages will increase to $9.75 an hour by the end of 2015, then raise by $1 an hour nearly every year until reaching $15 an hour by the end of 2021.

Cuomo said in a news conference Sunday the majority of minimum wage workers were in the fast-food industry, but he hoped to extend the wage increases across the board.

"This is only the first step because we need to raise the minimum wage," he said.

The wage board was created by the Labor Commissioner at Cuomo's request. It was a way for the governor to push for a wage increase in a single industry by circumventing the New York State Legislature.

Earlier in the year, the Legislature rejected Cuomo's proposal to increase New York City's overall minimum wage to $11.50 and $10.50 for elsewhere in the state.

On Cuomo's request, the three-person wage board was created in May by the state Labor Commissioner to offer recommendations on fast-food worker pay. The wage board only has the power to recommend wages for a particular industry or job. Any broad increase in wages have to be approved by the Legislature.

The fight to increase pay for low-wage workers has been going on for almost three years. Fast-food workers have been in the forefront of a broad national movement, joining protests and walking off the job to demand better pay.

“Today’s recommendation by the fast-food Wage Board may momentarily appease the advocates, but it is contrary to the need for long term job growth in New York State and goes against the notion that New York is ‘open for business,’” Business Council of New York State president and CEO Heather C. Briccetti said.

Many states and cities have passed legislation to increase pay in the last couple of years. Los Angeles and Seattle are the only two cities that have passed laws that increase minimum wage for all workers to $15.

"As longstanding supporters of a stronger minimum wage, on behalf of the Assembly Majority Conference I commend the Board for their hard work and for the open and inclusive process that allowed hundreds of advocates and affected stakeholders to have their voices heard," House Speaker Carl Heastie said.

The Civil Service Employees Association applauded the wage board's vote, but said more action still needs to be taken for other low-wage workers.

"Today’s announcement is a long-overdue step forward for thousands of fast food workers in New York, but we cannot stop here," Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said. "We must keep working for a real, living wage for all New York workers, many of whom work full-time and still live in poverty. That is unconscionable."